The present invention relates generally to remote control devices and more specifically it relates to a remote control solution for devices, applications and content by combining a controller with an on-TV user interface that is adaptable to communicate with and control various devices and/or applications.
Remote control devices have been in use for many years. Remote control devices are utilized to operate various external electronic devices including but not limited to televisions, stereos, receivers, VCRs, DVD players, CD players, amplifiers, equalizers, tape players, cable units, lighting, window shades and other electronic devices. A conventional remote control is typically comprised of a housing structure, a keypad within the housing structure for entering commands by the user, electronic circuitry within the housing structure connected to the keypad, and a transmitter electrically connected to the electronic circuitry for transmitting a control signal to an electronic device to be operated.
The user depresses one or more buttons upon the keypad when a desired operation of a specific electronic device is desired. For example, if the user desires to turn the power off to a VCR, the user will depress the power button upon the remote control which transmits a “power off” control signal that is detected by the VCR resulting in the VCR turning off.
Because of the multiple electronic devices currently available within many homes and businesses today, a relatively new type of remote control is utilized to allow for the control of a plurality of electronic devices commonly referred to as a “universal remote control.” Most universal remote controls have “selector buttons” that are associated with the specific electronic device to be controlled by the remote control (e.g. television, VCR; DVD player, etc.). Universal remote control devices allow for the control of a plurality of external electronic devices with a single remote control, thereby eliminating the need to have a plurality of remote controls physically present within a room.
Conventional universal remote controls are typically programmed using two methods: (1) entering an “identifier code” directly into the remote control, or (2) sampling the control signal transmitted by another remote control device. Neither method of programming a universal remote control is efficient and, therefore, many consumers either choose not to purchase a universal remote control or abandon the usage of an already purchased remote control.
Entering identifier codes into a remote control can be time-consuming and difficult for many users. If the user loses the “code book” that comes with the universal remote control he or she is oftentimes left with a useless universal remote control that he or she is unable to reprogram. Oftentimes a consumer is given four to eight different possible identifier codes for a particular brand of electronic device, thereby requiring the user to, through trial and error, determine the correct identifier code. Sometimes an individual believes he or she has entered the proper identifier code since one or two of the commands on the keypad work only to find out later that one or more commands do not work, with the electronic device since the proper identifier code was not entered.
Also, sampling of control signals is very time-consuming and difficult to ensure proper sampling. An individual must expend significant amounts of time sampling infrared signals from another remote control and saving these signals within the universal remote control, thereafter assigning the particular signal to a button on the keypad. This is very labor-intensive and the results are only as stable as the infrared code sampled.
There are also other problems with conventional universal remote controls that make them less desirable for consumers. For example, many universal remote controls have a large number of buttons, many of which may never be used, since the manufacturers attempt to have physical buttons for each possible command of each possible electronic device. Additionally, even when large numbers of buttons are included in the remote, the programming and compatibility of the remote with new devices are often limited.
Another problem with conventional universal remote controls is that the electronic components within these devices are relatively complex and expensive to manufacture, resulting in an increased cost to the consumer.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they are addressed, from the perspectives of cost, ease of use, and expandability, they are not optimal. Accordingly, there exist ongoing needs to provide remote control systems that can be applied to multiple devices in a more intuitive and expandable manner.